Eraser (1996)

A Witness Protection specialist becomes suspicious of his co-workers when dealing with a case involving high-tech weapons.

Director:

Chuck Russell (as Charles Russell)

Writers:

Tony Puryear (story), Walon Green (story)

Stars:

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Vanessa Williams, James Caan

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 3 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Arnold Schwarzenegger	...	U.S. Marshal John 'The Eraser' Kruger
James Caan	...	U.S. Marshal Robert DeGuerin
Vanessa Williams	...	Lee Cullen
James Coburn	...	WitSec Chief Beller
Robert Pastorelli	...	Johnny Casteleone
James Cromwell	...	William Donohue
Danny Nucci	...	WitSec Deputy Monroe
Andy Romano	...	Undersecretary of Defense Daniel Harper
Nick Chinlund	...	WitSec Agent Calderon
Michael Papajohn	...	WitSec Agent Schiffer
Joe Viterelli	...	Tony Two-Toes
Mark Rolston	...	J. Scar
John Slattery	...	FBI Agent Corman
Robert Miranda	...	Frediano
Roma Maffia	...	Claire Isaacs

Storyline

U.S. Marshal deputy John Kruger is one of the toughest Marshals, his methods are to "Erase" The identities of his witnesses he is assigned to protect. Meanwhile, a woman named Lee Cullen who works for a corporation named Cyrez performed an undercover job for the FBI to unveil a top secret weapon which uses an electromagnetic pulse to dispatch targets. Cyrez discovered this about Lee and are now out to kill her, Kruger's job is now to protect Lee so she can testify against Cyrez. But, when Kruger was assigned to perform a job with another Marshal named Robert Deguerin, he discovers that Deguerin is behind some kind of scam that will involve the EM Gun, which will change hands to a Russian criminal if Kruger does not stop them, Kruger must not only protect Lee's life but his own.

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Plot Keywords:

witness protection program | rogue agent | fbi | treason | railgun | 

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Taglines:

He will erase your past to protect your future.

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violent action throughout and some language

Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros. [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 June 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Eraser

Filming Locations:

Santa Clarita, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$100,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$24,566,446, 23 June 1996, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$101,295,562

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$242,295,562

Company Credits

Production Co:

Kopelson Entertainment, Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS DTS Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Several stunts went awry during production, including one where Arnold Schwarzenegger's hair caught fire.

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Goofs

When the rail guns are fired there is little recoil yet Newton's law states that "for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction". If the rail gun slugs were as powerful as depicted the guns would be almost impossible to hold on to because of the massive recoil. Newton's law doesn't apply if the gun is designed absorb the recoil instead of the person holding the gun.

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Quotes

Tony Two Toes: [counting the union rep payee envelopes] Hey, Mikey. You're one payment short.
Mikey: Oh, that's Louis. He didn't pay.
Tony Two Toes: He didn't pay? Why?
Mikey: He needed a few extra days to come up with the money, so I told him it was okay.
Tony Two Toes: You going soft on me, Mikey? What exactly did he say?
Johnny C: He said, "Tell that fat fuck, Tony Two Toes, I ain't payin' another dime!"
Tony Two Toes: I know that voice... but it can't be him, unless he's a ghost.
Johnny C: [walks into room] Boo.

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Alternate Versions

All previous UK cinema and video cuts were fully waived by the BBFC in February 2009, for a planned DVD/Blu-Ray release. This release never happened, but the uncut version is the version aired by 5* and TCM on TV in the UK.

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Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Iconic Movie Guns (2014)

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Soundtracks

That's Amore
Written by Jack Brooks and Harry Warren
Performed by Dean Martin
Courtesy of Capitol Records
Under license from EMI-Capitol Special Markets

User Reviews

Typical shoot-'em-up

This is a completely typical, and unbelievable, action film - all the sophisticated weaponry they throw at him can't give Arnold Schwarzenegger more than a broken arm. Nonetheless, very good viewing for those times when you are tired, and want to put your brain into neutral.